Torn Meniscus....Anyone?

[esracerx]

Kid that works for me showed up Thursday and could barely walk. Said he heard a pop playing basketball. The kid is 5'11 320 and was diagnosed with diabetes last year. Left early yesterday to see a doctor and they told him he needs an MRI and they suspect meniscus. He asked me this morning if there was "anything easy" to do. Unfortunately nothing we do is "easy".

 

[BW64]

Tore mine in the right knee a few years ago (I was 65)squatting down to read a putt on the golf course. Had arthroscopic surgery & scraping of arthritis on a Monday afternoon & walked to the mail box(75 yards) the next day. Was out dancing on Saturday(4 days later). Make sure you get the ice water flow machine. Relieves the swelling & pain. I never used the pain pills they gave me. Back to golf in 2 weeks.


BW

 

[noharleyyet]

Couple of things, there are at least two different procedures being described here. Meniscal repairs and menisectomies " meniscus tear removed". They are completely different. As someone siad about 2/3s of the meniscus is largely avascular and therefore has limited healing properties. If a meniscal repair is an option the tear has to be in the more vascular outer 1/3 and then greater post surgical limitations have to be placed on the patient ie non-weightbearing for 4-6 weeks or longer and ROM limitations. Recovery from a repair is a longer process but you have a better chance of saving articular cartilage (covers bones at joints) in the long run because the force absorbing and spreading function of an intact meniscus will hopefully be more fully preserved. A partial menisectomy is removal of the tear. Typically no weightbearing restrictions after this procedure and can rehab very quickly, even a matter of weeks if the rest of the knee is in good shape and there is not much inflammation, swelling, or muscle atrophy. However in the long run the partial menisectomy can lead to early onset of osteoarthritis ( the wear and tear kind) which can lead to knee replacement. If the knee is locking, stays inflamed and swollen, and just doesn't get better you may have to consider surgery. However there is more and more data coming out that we are scoping too many knees and performing too many partial menisectomies when long term results are similar between people with tears that have surgery and those that don't.

As disclosure I am a PT so you can take this with a grain of salt but I would first find a reputable orthopedic physical therapist and try a few weeks of PT before I did much else. I have a R medial meniscus tear myself that I manage through exercise.

These are generalities but evidenced based.

HD

Well said...an spot on.

 

[Speeddmn]

Here is my horror story. My meniscus actually wasn't torn, just grew wrong! My Doc told me it acted like it was torn tho. I had the right knee scoped/repaired Dec 15th, 2016, left knee done Feb 23rd 2017. I am still in physical Therapy 2x a week for about 2 hrs each session. I am doing everything they say and going all out with it. I don't feel as if I will be ready for this years hunt, so I am glad I didn't draw any good tags. I cant run yet so training/fitness lvl is on a giant downward slope compared to what I want.

Hope you the best, I would hold off on any surgerys till after the hunt, invest in a good/great brace and keep on trucking.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

Thank to all the responses.

Mild MCL tear and medial meniscus tear. He said the MCL will heal on its own over time. Meniscus will need surgery according to him. Have a 2nd opinion coming up on the 25th. I always get 2nd opinions. sometimes 3rd.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

Couple of things, there are at least two different procedures being described here. Meniscal repairs and menisectomies " meniscus tear removed". They are completely different. As someone siad about 2/3s of the meniscus is largely avascular and therefore has limited healing properties. If a meniscal repair is an option the tear has to be in the more vascular outer 1/3 and then greater post surgical limitations have to be placed on the patient ie non-weightbearing for 4-6 weeks or longer and ROM limitations. Recovery from a repair is a longer process but you have a better chance of saving articular cartilage (covers bones at joints) in the long run because the force absorbing and spreading function of an intact meniscus will hopefully be more fully preserved. A partial menisectomy is removal of the tear. Typically no weightbearing restrictions after this procedure and can rehab very quickly, even a matter of weeks if the rest of the knee is in good shape and there is not much inflammation, swelling, or muscle atrophy. However in the long run the partial menisectomy can lead to early onset of osteoarthritis ( the wear and tear kind) which can lead to knee replacement. If the knee is locking, stays inflamed and swollen, and just doesn't get better you may have to consider surgery. However there is more and more data coming out that we are scoping too many knees and performing too many partial menisectomies when long term results are similar between people with tears that have surgery and those that don't.

As disclosure I am a PT so you can take this with a grain of salt but I would first find a reputable orthopedic physical therapist and try a few weeks of PT before I did much else. I have a R medial meniscus tear myself that I manage through exercise.

These are generalities but evidenced based.

HD

Any recommendations on a good brace/support i can use to help speed up the healing process?

 

[Inkedmedic8404]

Thank to all the responses.

Mild MCL tear and medial meniscus tear. He said the MCL will heal on its own over time. Meniscus will need surgery according to him. Have a 2nd opinion coming up on the 25th. I always get 2nd opinions. sometimes 3rd.

I had the same exact injury when I was 21 and in the military on deployment. I was running three weeks after surgery and had zero problems with it until this October (16 years) where I fell on it during a hunt. Been to two Ortho's, Two MRI's and a DPT, Injections, Pain meds. Not one of them could figure out what was wrong with me. Luckily I started a lifting program against recommendation from the Doc and my knee has been getting better by leaps and bounds. I can actually hike a pack with weight and squat again. I would highly recommend staying off the Pain killers and only take them as needed. Prolonged use can actually make your pain worse over time. (Something to do with the opioid receptors becoming sensitive to pain) I was taking them only when the pain was unbearable and needed to sleep. Tramadol is a pain killer but is not opioid based. The only warning I have with it is do not take too much! I feel stupid when I took too much and started to stutter. It has also been linked to seizures in some patients. The last good piece of advice I can give you is to start physical therapy as soon as you can if you get surgery. You have to get that knee back up and moving. I wouldn't get surgery until season is over and you have time to recover. Get yourself a good knee brace and some trekking poles. As for a brace, look into the Donjoy line. I am sure Hatchie Dawg can give you a good suggestion. Drop some cash on it though if your insurance doesn't cover it. You will need support above and below the knee.

Good luck!

 

[JohnCushman]

My ortho doc at the VA gave me what's called a medial unloader brace. It has a hinge where the knee bends on that supports the inside of your knee and takes most of the weight off of it. That and a cane has been a godsend while I wait for my knee surgery later this year after hunting season. Using trekking poles while you hunt would be a good suggestion. I only use the brace when I'm going to be doing a lot of walking or causing stress to my knee. I take it hunting because after a couple of days my pain gets brutal and the brace takes the burden off of it and lets my knee basically rest for a day or two while I still hunt.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

My ortho doc at the VA gave me what's called a medial unloader brace. It has a hinge where the knee bends on that supports the inside of your knee and takes most of the weight off of it. That and a cane has been a godsend while I wait for my knee surgery later this year after hunting season. Using trekking poles while you hunt would be a good suggestion. I only use the brace when I'm going to be doing a lot of walking or causing stress to my knee. I take it hunting because after a couple of days my pain gets brutal and the brace takes the burden off of it and lets my knee basically rest for a day or two while I still hunt.

Thanks John, Ill look up that brace type.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I had the same exact injury when I was 21 and in the military on deployment. I was running three weeks after surgery and had zero problems with it until this October (16 years) where I fell on it during a hunt. Been to two Ortho's, Two MRI's and a DPT, Injections, Pain meds. Not one of them could figure out what was wrong with me. Luckily I started a lifting program against recommendation from the Doc and my knee has been getting better by leaps and bounds. I can actually hike a pack with weight and squat again. I would highly recommend staying off the Pain killers and only take them as needed. Prolonged use can actually make your pain worse over time. (Something to do with the opioid receptors becoming sensitive to pain) I was taking them only when the pain was unbearable and needed to sleep. Tramadol is a pain killer but is not opioid based. The only warning I have with it is do not take too much! I feel stupid when I took too much and started to stutter. It has also been linked to seizures in some patients. The last good piece of advice I can give you is to start physical therapy as soon as you can if you get surgery. You have to get that knee back up and moving. I wouldn't get surgery until season is over and you have time to recover. Get yourself a good knee brace and some trekking poles. As for a brace, look into the Donjoy line. I am sure Hatchie Dawg can give you a good suggestion. Drop some cash on it though if your insurance doesn't cover it. You will need support above and below the knee.

Good luck!

Im terrible at sitting still so my knee still gets exercise. Been riding the bike at the gym and stuff like that and the pain is certainly tolerable doing that. Wont be breaking any PF's deadlifting or squating any time soon though. I did one leg deadlifts yesterday though

I'll check out some of those donjoy braces for when im active. Got the ice machine on the way.

 

[Elkmagnet]

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?...ved=0ahUKEwjImNfAt4TVAhUPxGMKHdRpCocQgQMIMjAA

 

[TimeOnTarget]

Well fellas, Friday is the day, Surgery it is after my 2nd opinion. I'll have exactly 5 weeks before i go spend the month of Sept in the back country. I'll be busting my ass to make sure I'm 100% by then.

 

[Addicting]

I had my meniscus done on the 18th, yesterday I was clearing trees from my woods for a food plot. Jumping on and off the tractor and climbing up and over trees as I limbed them out. Today I had my follow up appointment and besides the 2 incision sites I am not sore at all. This is my 3rd time and each time I have noticed less and less recovery time, technology and a good surgeon are the key. I wont be running marathons anytime soon but I am already back to my old self. Good luck, follow the docs directions, and you will be good enough to get around for season.

 

[JohnCushman]

Good luck!!

 

[MTHunter1321]

Good luck! I met with my surgeon yesterday regarding a torn ACL and medial meniscus. Given my age and activity level he strongly recommended surgery. I agreed, on the condition that it's not done until December. He said the he risk I run is further damaging the meniscus tear, but that'll be fixable come surgery anyways. Best of luck with your recovery!

 

[TimeOnTarget]

Thanks fellas!

 

[amoor983]

Tore mine skiing in 8th grade, along with partial ACL tear. Sat out the rest of wrestling season. It would pop and lock up occasionally thereafter but wasn't terrible (wrestling and football). My Junior year of high school it got worse and I had it scoped and removed some meniscus. That helped a lot and my knee never really bothered me, until one wrestling match my second year of college, in a very non-traumatic way, my ACL tore the rest of the way. That required ACL reconstruction, used part of the patellar tendon.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

Had surgery at noon today, Doc found not 1 but 2 tears in the medial meniscus. trimmed them both up as they were not in a location that allowed it to be sewn back together.

Had a 3hr drive home and just got settled in the chair with the ice machine. Doc said to sit here until Sunday afternoon and then get moving around. Knee is feeling great so far! 5 weeks from today I'll be leaving for idaho so the next 5 weeks will be soley focused on rehabbing the knee and shooting the bow.

 

[Addicting]

FYI it's feeling great right now because you have nerve blockers in there. That last for about 8 hours or so, then you start feeling things. Make sure you stay up on you pain meds every 6 hours or so for the first few days. If you forget you will get a decent amount of pain uncomforte to remind you. It's best to just stay on schedule. Good luck on your recovery.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

FYI it's feeling great right now because you have nerve blockers in there. That last for about 8 hours or so, then you start feeling things. Make sure you stay up on you pain meds every 6 hours or so for the first few days. If you forget you will get a decent amount of pain uncomforte to remind you. It's best to just stay on schedule. Good luck on your recovery.

Thanks Addicting,

I'll be following docs orders to a T for a change. I've got my dad going to ID with me, he just turned 60 and I'd love nothing more than to help get him his 1st elk. He's only hunted out west 1 other time. which was last year and we came home empty handed.